Inspired by The Secret Garden, Moongarden by Michelle A. Barry is the first in a sci-fi series about a young girl finding her place in a world that shuns those who are seen as “weaker.” Myra is attending a school for the elite that will train her to use her magic and become a Number Whisperer like her parents. However, she struggles with math, doesn’t fit in with her classmates, and her Creer, a mystical tattoo inscription, isn’t filling up to show her work. Then, she finds a hidden door in an abandoned classroom that changes her life and everything she though she knew.

Myra is an easy character to follow and identify with. Her struggles are similar to those that all kids struggle with in middle and high school: fitting in, finding a place in the world, finding a purpose. In this dystopian world, plants are seen as deadly. Plants are the reason humans fled to space and settled on the Moon and other planets. So why is a garden in an abandoned classroom and why can Myra feel a connection with them? There is danger and a sense of urgency that surrounds Myra when she finds the garden and every time she visits it. She knows she can tell no one about it.

While I enjoyed Myra and what she discovers, I struggled with some elements. Dystopian novels imagine and give readers insight into what the world will look like in the future, usually based on current events. For this one, we are told that people left Earth due to toxic plants, but no explanation is giving as to how or why they were toxic. Now that being said, this is a series so it may be explained in later books, but that was a big question that loomed in my mind and was never answered.

Overall, I enjoyed Moongarden. Following Myra as she continued to learn a forbidden magic (tending plants) was exciting. The magical world mixed with the sci-fi element was interesting. While this is written with middle graders in mind, teens who enjoy dystopias will like this one too. If you are a fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopias, I highly recommend it.

4/5 stars
Recommended if you like: sci-fi, middle grade novels, fantasy, magic, magic schools, conspiracies

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 10/23 and has been posted to my book blog as of 10/25..

The concept of the book was interesting. Humanity has largely moved off-planet due to environmental degradation that rendered all plants (and the air) toxic. In addition to this, a lot of people have powers related to certain fields, such as math, electricity, medicine, etc. I liked the setup for the powers and thought the way they were depicted was interesting. I did have a hard time picturing how Number Whispering might work until Myra is asked to do it in class, lol.

I think I would've liked to see a bit more emphasis on the 'space' aspect of the book. Some of the conflict is a result of not having access to plants, but that feels like an issue that would be present on earth or on the moon in this situation. Having the characters talk about crater landmarks or seeing earth/other planets in the distance, etc. would've brought the setting more to the forefront of the book. As it is now, I kept forgetting the characters weren't just on a ravaged earth.

Myra is someone who's in a dilemma. Virtually everyone has high expectations of her and her parents have both high and specific expectations, but Myra knows that she won't be able to meet them. She desperately hopes that she'll either find her magical niche or will be able to fake her way through school. With this at the forefront of her mind, she doesn't really care that much that she doesn't have any friends. There are moments when it seems to bother her, but particularly in the beginning of the book she doesn't let it get to her. Myra is also strong-willed and curious to a fault, willing to do a lot just to get answers.

Canter is the SLAM headmaster's son. He comes across as kind of douchy at first, but he makes up for it later on. I was actually surprised at how well he turned around, since he definitely seemed like the tattle-tale type at first. He and Myra are able to bond over their parents' expectations and over the garden. The garden seems to be good for him and slowly but surely he develops into a more mature person over the course of the book.

Canter and Myra's friendship is fun to read. They both can have a very dry sense of humor at times and enjoy (playfully) picking on each other. Since they both have prominent parents, they're also able to sympathize with a lot of what each other is going through and the pressure they both feel.

Lila is one of Myra's roommates and also has a rough start in the book. Myra got shoved into a triplet room as the fourth roommate after her original roommate didn't show up (and apparently unlike college you don't just get to be in a single), so none of her roommates are really thrilled about it. Lila, at least, seems like the least bitchy of the bunch, which turns out to be true. Despite a rough start on both sides, Lila is more than willing to put things aside and becomes a good friend and ally.

In terms of MG/YA categorization, I think this book has some trouble. On the one hand, the characters are 12-13, putting them solidly in the Middle Grade category. On the other hand, Myra narrates like she's an older teen. I spent a good amount of time at the beginning of the book thinking Myra got randomly placed in a dorm with a bunch of middle schoolers, not realizing she is a middle schooler. In addition, her roommates (who are also 12) get dressed up to go to a sports game/go into town, but the way Barry describes them makes it sound like they're dressed and make-uped to go clubbing.

I also question the sanity (and safety) of a school that lets hordes of students harass a twelve-year-old-girl and constantly attempt to see her expose some skin. This whole subplot is nonsexual, people are trying to see her Creer marks, which show up on arms, but in hindsight it's suspect. I suppose it follows with schools generally being terrible at handling bullying and SA, but it's passed off in such a blase manner in the book that it's kind of troubling. I also wonder why it's such a big deal. I get the students in Years 1 and 2, and maybe Year 3 being interested, but do the older students really have nothing better to do?

The garden itself was a neat concept. I liked the scenes Myra and Canter spent there, and the things they learned about plants and growing things. There was a lot working against them, but they managed to get it healthy and happy in a relatively short period of time.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think other MG readers will as well. There's a nice blend of fantasy and sci-fi in here, though I would've liked to see more emphasis on the moon thing. The characters do act a bit old for their age, but it's a minor thing so it isn't really an issue.

With a magic system framed around science and mathematics, Moongarden has an interesting premise that I have not previously encountered in Middle Grade novels. Turning subjects such as chemistry, math, and biology into magical disciplines could well spark young readers to be more open to or interested in these topics, and it was refreshing to see the author take this approach. Barry also does a good job of crafting the world, and we can clearly see the importance of having magic, as well as the impacts of being magicless on one's place in society.

Despite an interesting premise, I did find this book difficult to get through. For me, the character interactions were not enough to get me emotionally invested, and despite the interesting world that had been crafted, I found I had to force myself to keep reading, rather than being drawn in by the narrative.

This was a fun read. I must admit that I’ve never read the original The Secret Garden novel, so I can’t speak to how well of a retelling this one is, but I found myself feeling for the characters.

I especially loved Bin-Ro.

I thought the story appropriate for its intended age group. Full of adventure and coming-of-age goodness. I think it will be easy for tweens and young teens to be able to relate to Myra and Canter.
That ending was a killer though. I already want to know what’s going to happen next.

I read this with my middle Grace grandchildren (1 boy ,1 girl) at first my grandson was a bit wary reading about a girl (sorry, but keep reading) Once we got into the story, he was fascinated by the moon aspect and the environmental issues he was less concerned about the gender of the main character and really enjoyed the story. My granddaughter also liked the story but would like the " rest of the story now, please".

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book.***

In this futuristic retelling of The Secret Garden, humanity has escaped an Earth made uninhabitable by toxic plants by colonising other planets. Twelve year old magic student Myra discovers an illegal garden on the moon, and makes some shocking discoveries about the colony’s past, present and the nature of magic itself.

Unfortunately, despite an intriguing setup, I nearly stopped reading this books several times. In many ways it is a fun, interesting middle grade Sci Fi fantasy adventure with a an environmental angle.

My issue came with the ‘Rep’ subplot. In the book people are split into humans who can do magic (Creer), humans who can’t do magic (non-Creer) and cloned servants called ‘Reps’. These Reps are human in every way, but are treated like tools or robots, ignored or ordered about.

Many characters in the book talk about non-Creers as sub human, disrespecting them. All the students are terrified of turning out to be non-Creer. Reps are not even mentioned in these discussions, they are seen as so inhuman.

I couldn’t get past this element of the book and I kept waiting for it to be addressed. It was, but far too slowly and as a secondary concern for the main characters. I really hope it becomes more of a focus in the next book. It was an unfortunate negative for me in an otherwise fun YA mystery adventure.

Myra is in her first year at a lunar boarding school for students with magical abilities. Her year doesn’t exactly go as planned when she discovers she doesn't have the abilities her parents did and she stumbles upon a garden hidden at her school and all the dark secrets that go along with it.
I thought this was a fast paced read and I enjoyed the friendship between Myra, Canter, and Lila. I'm excited to see where this goes.

I didn't catch that this was ideal for the middle grade age so unfortunately I will not be reviewing it but thank you for the opportunity!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of Moongarden, a dystopian sci-fi written for a middle grade audience.

Years in the future, humans have colonized the moon ever since plants became toxic and made earth uninhabitable. Myra Hodger is in her first year at a lunar boarding school for students with magical abilities. Her year doesn’t exactly go as planned when she discovers a garden hidden at her school and all the dark secrets that go along with it.

Overall I enjoyed this novel. It was an easy read with all the interpersonal drama and angst you’d expect from tweens and teens. I liked the main characters, and the emotion and dynamics they brought to the story. Most of the adult characters in the book seemed like jerks!

Lots of relatable themes for readers of any age such as friendship, being different, and not living up to parents’ and society’s expectations. There were also some complex themes such as a classism and political corruption that surprised me in a middle grade novel but maybe I am underestimating that audience.

I am quite interested to see where things go with the sequel, as the ending left a lot of questions unanswered. Definitely an enjoyable book with some light twists to read with your middle grader, but also for anyone looking for a quick dystopian sci-fi in a boarding school setting.

I received this ARC for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Moongarden is a middle-years, sci-fi series, that is set at an elite "Creer" school in outer space. The story is a first-person POV from MC Myra, child of two prodigy number whisperers with no talent for numbers of her own, is rebellious and working to get out from underneath her parent's shadow. Cutting class one day, she locates a secret garden in her school after years of plant life being deemed criminal. She finally hears her future calling but is it worth the risk?

If you have a middle years sci-fi/fantasy lover in your life, this series is for you! It has everything you would want in a space adventure: politics, blackmailing, mystery, and the pains of growing up in a way different than what your parents and friends may expect, rebellion, recognizing the humanity in others. I was surprised at the layers that this book had for a middle years read but I would definitely suggest it to any sci-fi fans looking for a Wall-E-esque adventure.

My only criticisms is because this book is the first in a series, the ending felt a bit muddied and vague. I would have enjoyed a little more tie up at the end for some of the subplot lines going on.

This was such a cute little story! Definitely an enjoyable and light read, perfect for any middle grader! I would recommend this to any 4th-6th grader, and even if you aren't in that age range, I think anyone could read this and find themselves intrigued.

A nice space fantasy. 12 year old Myra is your typical angsty tween who gets caught up in the secrets of her Elite lunar boarding school. At this point in time the Earth is no longer habitable because plants became toxic and poisoned Earth's atmosphere.

The plot is fun and has a lot of drama, the characters are your typical tropey school types, the nerd girl, jock boy, the surveillance teacher, the Dean With Secrets. Can't say I didn't see it coming, but also it's an entertaining formula.

My only qualms are: 1) there is virtually no plot resolution. This will be a series and very obviously so. There are answered questions, and an attempt at plot resolution that instead became a conflict point for more drama. It feels unfinished and unsatisfying. 2) If plants are so evil because what they did to Earth and they haven't been cultivated in at least a couple generations, then how do all these people find and get caught with all these seeds? Seeds show up everywhere. At least one person per family has seeds! Distracting.

I was surprised to like a book aimed at middle-schoolers, but it is pretty good. It helped that I like sci-fi and that I liked the MC.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

A nice middle grade retelling of the classic secret garden. I would definitely recommend it for 5th, and perhaps even 4th graders. For me, I found the book enjoyable but nothing terribly special. I think that is simply based on my own preferences. I am confident that my 5th grader will love this book and I look forward to reading it to her in the future. The world building is what truly makes this book. Not only that but the character development and the ability of the author to make me feel connected to the characters was pivotal.

Michelle Barry's Moongarden was incredibly well done. The main characters were lovable and each had their own well-executed arc, and the plot was interesting and well constructed – if slightly predictable for an older reader. But the world building is where this book shines. Barry was able to make me fall in love with the garden in just a few words, and her universe as a whole seems like it has great potential. I am eagerly awaiting a sequel.

I would give this book 4.5/5 stars and would unhesitatingly recommend it to younger middle-grade fans of sci-fi and fantasy.

I received an eBook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but I enjoyed this book enough that I will be purchasing a hardcover copy for my own shelf.

**Thank you to Michelle Barry and Pixel+Ink publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.**
This is an Incredibly beautiful and creative retelling of the secret garden. I love the magic system in this book, and the different ways it's separated into types. It's unique in the relationship it has to science. I love the way they go together. It's rare for something to tickle my imagination the way this book does. This story is lovely. I feel like those who appreciate the classic will really enjoy this story. I am hopeful there will be more books in this series!

I finished this book in a day and thought it was amazing! Barry really pulls you in with the Moongarden and you quickly become as obsessed with it as Myra and Canter. It truly feels like this book is setting up a great series that middle-grade kids need. It addresses bullying, being an outcast, being overshadowing by either parents' accomplishments or siblings' - all of which are feelings and experiences kids go through at that age. It shows that it's okay to be different; it's okay to have a hobby that other people might find weird; it's okay to be you.

I'm really excited to see where this series goes as there are several things I think need to be addressed in later books such as how Reps are treated, whether or not Myra and Canter can convince the galaxy that plants are in fact safe, and the Botan Creer stereotype. I also think that the social classes of this futuristic world are really interesting and I'm hoping those will eventually be broken.

This is a Middle-Grade fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, mystery novel set in the year 2448 in the Moon colony. A disaster happened to Earth or how it's not called The Old World where poisonous plants made it inhabitable (plus other natural and non-natural disasters too) so humans went out in the galaxy to live on different planets and moons. Myra is in SLAM which is a school for magical sciences as a Number Whisperer, even though she doesn't really have that kind of magic, her parents who do, expected her to. She just wants to stay alone and continuously skips class to keep it a secret. One such day of skipping class she comes across a garden. But there's no such thing anymore since the Old World days. She starts to connect with it and wishes of showing it to the whole galaxy so they have organic food to eat.
This was a brilliant idea, with awesome writing, interesting characters, magic being like science. I loved it! The idea of having some kinds of tattoos isn't really unique but still worked out so cool. I really liked being with Myra and seeing her open up to friends and finding herself out. Just brilliant. Especially the cover, it is gorgeous! Also really liked the whole involvement of STEM, and how interesting it felt to read gardening and botany be described this way. The only thing that bothered me was the whole moon years, it felt weird. Especially considering how the MC is 12 but is that in earth or moon years, because if it's moon years that makes zero sense...

Giving up 5 pages in. The main character is so noncompeling. And I don't care for people who skip class.